On the authority of an-Nawwaas bin Sam’aan (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Righteousness is in good character, and ithm (wrongdoing) is that which wavers in your soul, and which you dislike people finding out about.” [Muslim]

And on the authority of Waabisah bin Ma’bad (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he said, “You have come to ask about righteousness.” I said, “Yes.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Consult your heart. Righteousness is that about which the soul feels at ease and the heart feels tranquil. And ithm is that which wavers in the soul and causes uneasiness in the breast, even though people have repeatedly given their legal opinion.”

A good hadeeth transmitted from the musnads of the two imams, Ahmed bin Hanbal and Al- Daarimi, with a good chain of authorities.

[al-Arba’een #27]

The haadidh ibn Rajab al-Hanbali brings the following point of clarification in his expansive commentary:

And his statement in the hadeeth of Nawwaas bin Sam’aan, “and ithm is that which wavers in your soul, and which you dislike people finding out about” indicates that wrongdoing is which has the effect of creating difficulty, constriction, unease, and disturbance so that the breast does not become opened to it. And along with that, people regard it as wrong since they reject it as wrong since they reject it whenever they discover it. And this is the highest degree of recognition of ithm when it is ambiguous – that is that the people reject it in the doer and other than the doer.

And from this same meaning is the statement of ibn Mas’ood (raadi Allaahu ‘anhu), “That which the mu’minoon see as good, then it is good with Allah. And that which the mu’minoon see as despicable, then it is despicable to Allah.”

And His saying in the hadeeth of Waasibahand Abu Tha’labah, “Even if those who give judgement do so“, meaning that whatever wavers in a person’s breast is ithm even if others give him a judgement that it is not ithm. So this is the second degree, and it is that something is reprehensible to the person himself even though it is not to others, so he has made that ithm also. And this is only the case when the person is someone whose breast has been opened to al-eemaan, and the one who gives judgement does so purely from his own thought or his inclining towards his desire without a shar’ee (Divinely legislated) proof. So as for the case when the one who gives judgement does so with a shar’ee proof, then it is obligatory for the one who sought the ruling to return to that ruling, even if his breast has not been opened to that. And this is like the shar’eerukhsah (allowance) for such things as breaking the fast on a journey or while ill, shortening the prayers while on a journey, and so on of those things for which many ignorant people feel ill at ease, and so no regard is due to it.

And sometimes the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded his companions with things with which some of their hearts were not at ease and which they would feel like refusing to do and he would become angry at that. Such as when he ordered them to cancel their hajj and and convert it into an ‘umrah, so those who disliked it among them disliked it. And such as when he commanded them to slaughter their sacrificial animals and to undo the ‘umrah of al-Hudaybiyyah, and they disliked that. They disliked his agreeing to the stipulations of the Quraish [in the treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah] that he should return [from attempting to make the ‘umrah] that year and that he should return to them whoever came to them [of Muslims from the Quraish]

So in summary, concerning that for which there is narrated a definitive text, then there is no option for the mu’min except for obedying Allah and His messenger, just as He said, “It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair.” [33:36]

One must meet that [i.e. the definite text and ruling] with an open heart and contentment, for verily it is obligatory to have eemaan in what Allah and His messenger have legislated, and to be contented with it, and to submit to it, and He said, “But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.” [4:65]

As for that for which there is no definitive text from Allah or His messenger, nor anything to follow of the statements of the sahaabah or the salaf of the ummah, then if something occurs in the inner-self of the mu’min whose heart is at rest with eemaan and whose breast is opened with the noor of knowledge and yaqeen (certainty), and it makes an impression and causes his breast to waver because of some doubts, and he cannot find someone to offer a judgement with a rukhsah except that they inform him from their own opinion, someone who is not firm in their knowledge nor in their deen, rather he is someone who is know for following his desires, then the mu’min should return from that which causes his breast to waver, even though those who give him judgements allow it.